The HR landscape has transformed for businesses in the North East. An increase in requests for remote and flexible working, alongside a heightened focus on cultural awareness and wellbeing support, has compelled companies to reassess their operations to better support their workforce.
Louise Kennedy, Founder and Director of Sunderland-based Oculus HR, shared the following advice for how businesses can alter their strategies to be better prepared for handling this shift:
“There has been a significant move on the expectation for businesses to work with their employees differently. More people than ever are working from home, whether that be occasionally or on a full-time basis, as a business owner you must establish guidance on communication and expectations. When recruiting this is a level of flexibility that potential new employees are looking for.
We have seen how important it is to establish and verbalise what your culture actually is, this will support many aspects from people strategy, recruitment, leadership, development, management styles and understanding the emotional intelligence of your teams.
Ultimately this all feeds into the wellbeing of your employees. Your employees drive your business for delivery, you must ensure that they are respected and the work environment is a place of choice.”
This continued growth has also included welcoming new team members. In April, Oculus HR welcomed Rebecca Day as a new HR consultant, bringing over 20 years of experience to the team. Another HR specialist is set to join in July, further adding to their ranks.
Founded in 2013, Oculus HR has been acknowledged in a series of awards nominations. Already this year, they’ve placed highly in the Elite Business 100 Top UK Small Business Enterprise Awards and have recently been shortlisted for ‘Small Business of the Year’ at the NECC Chamber of Business Awards, with the winner revealed next month.
Reflecting on their year so far, Louise said:
“We’re thrilled with the success Oculus HR has achieved this year. From growing our team to supporting even more clients and reaching our target turnover, we’re ecstatic with our journey and can’t wait to see what we accomplish next. We’re constantly working to keep ahead of the curve in the HR landscape, and being recognised for our hard work in both regional and national awards solidifies the impact Oculus HR is making.”
